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Broadband without a phone line: Say so long to line rental

How do I get internet without getting line rental included in the price? It’s a question we’re asked all the time. If you want broadband without a phone line, there are several ways to go about getting it, but be warned - it might not actually work out cheaper…

Virgin Media's fibre optic broadband operates
independently of the national telecoms network once owned and still
mostly looked after by BT. It means Virgin Media can give you broadband
with faster speeds of up to 200Mb, with no need for a landline.

However, when you sign up for broadband and TV there's normally
a phone service thrown in with the bundle - opting out won't
necessarily save you money. In fact, it may be cheaper to take all
three services, even if you you're not going to use the phone
line.

You can check for yourself when you use our price calculator
to compare packages.

Hyperoptic

Hyperoptic is quite a bit different. It's an ultrafast provider
with broadband that really doesn't compromise on speed. With 1Gb
downloads, it's over 100 times faster than the current UK average
and about six times speedier than its closes rival Virgin
Media.

However, it's a new provider with a niche offering, and not
everyone can afford - or actually has a need for - ultrafast 1Gb
broadband. To find out if it's available where you live and to
compare TV, broadband and phone deals, run a quick postcode check.

Relish

Relish is a Central London-specific provider, so if you don't
live in the capital, we're afraid you're out of luck.

But if you do live in the Big Smoke, Relish may be right up your
street. It's a wireless
broadband provider that uses 4G to deliver services. When you
sign up, Relish sends you a router (on the same day even, if you're willing to
spend a few bob extra), and all you have to do is plug it in, and
you're good to go.

Packages are unlimited and, if you can get a good enough signal,
speeds are comparable to fibre optic broadband. It's a great
alternative to standard fixed broadband.

Can I get broadband without a landline?

Broadband without a phone line may seem the ideal scenario,
particularly if you're tired of paying line rental for a home phone
you barely ever use.

In reality, at least in the majority of cases, you'll need a
working phone line in order to have broadband. The only major
exception - the one with the widest availability at least -
is Virgin Media.

The good news is that even the cheap internet
deals usually includes some free calls at weekends or in the
evening. Still, if you're adamant you don't want a phone line at
all, and you just want your broadband without line rental, there
are a few options to think about.

Is landline-free broadband a cheaper option?

Because you don't have to worry about paying for your phone
line, it would be easy to assume that broadband-only packages would
be dramatically cheaper. That's not the case.

Take Virgin Media for example. Its broadband without a landline
only works out around £5 less than its standard packages. It's also
worth noting that it's one of the pricier providers out there, so
you may be able to find an alternative from a company like TalkTalk
or Plusnet that includes a phone line, but actually costs less.

Is 3G or 4G better than broadband?

If you live somewhere with decent 3G or 4G mobile phone signal, you might be
able to rely on mobile broadband for your internet access. This
way, if you don't use your home phone, you can do away with your
landline and wave goodbye to line rental forever.

At first glance this might seem like a no-brainer, but unless
you can access 4G, you'll find data-heavy stuff like streaming
films and TV practically impossible at mobile speeds. To see if 4G
is available where you live, use an online mobile coverage
checker.

Mobile internet is also likely to be significantly less
cost-effective than a good value home broadband package. If you're
anything more than an extremely light or occasional web user, what
you save in line rental you may quickly incur in excess data
charges.

Is satellite broadband any good?

As a last resort, if you live out in the sticks, beyond the
reaches of BT and Virgin Media, and have patchy or non-existent
mobile signal, satellite broadband could be an option.

Broadband by satellite is usually more expensive, slower and
often less reliable than regular ADSL or fibre optic broadband. However, like
satellite TV from Sky or Freesat, it's available pretty much
anywhere, and it eliminates the need for a landline.

Disclaimer: The content on this page was not provided or
commissioned by any of the providers or operators mentioned. The
opinions expressed are the author's alone, and have not been
approved, reviewed or otherwise endorsed by providers or operators.
Links to providers and operators on this page make us money if you
sign up to a deal, but do not increase the amount you pay. For more
on how we make money, read about us.

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Why do we need your postcode?

We don’t want to show you a load of deals that you can’t actually get, so by giving us your postcode we show you only the deals that are available where you live. We don’t share your postcode with anyone else. Take a look at our privacy policy to find out more.

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